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Rolls-Royce, Lamborghini utilities await approval from German parents [w/poll]

A cursory look at the top of the automobile market would suggest that the world's carmakers are gunning it full steam ahead into a new stratosphere of ultra-luxury and high-performance utility vehicles. After all, companies like Bentley and Maserati are preparing to launch their very first crossovers, while established players like Mercedes-Benz and Land Rover keep producing ever more expensive sport-utes of their own. But that's not the case across the board.
Rolls-Royce, for example, has yet to receive the green light to start working on its proposed CUV project. Though the dimensions of its sedans may already eclipse those of some crossovers, this would be the first time that Goodwood would produce a utility of its own. But while the British automaker's financial performance may have earned it a degree of autonomy, the final call may still come down to parent company BMW, which just might be waiting to see how Bentley fares with its upcoming crossover - and how much money it brings in to the Volkswagen Group - before deciding on whether or not it should proceed.
However, Rolls-Royce may not be alone in waiting for its German parent company to approve its high-priced ute. It's been two and a half years since we first laid eyes on the Lamborghini Urus (pictured), but the Italian automaker reportedly has not yet received approval from its parent company Audi and the greater Volkswagen Group to proceed with development and production. Envisioned to share its platform with the next Volkswagen Touareg, Audi Q7, Porsche Cayenne and the production version of the Bentley EXP 9 F concept, the high-riding Lamborghini was originally set to reach production as the marque's third model line in 2017. But while Audi drags its feet - potentially waiting to see how the Bentley version pans out - the Urus' launch keeps getting pushed back, if it's ever to be made at all.

Lamborghini Urus to get twin-turbo V8

The Lamborghini Urus won't use one of the Italian supercar brand's familiar V10 or V12 engines upon its arrival around 2018, but will instead pack a Lambo-exclusive twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8. Company boss Stephan Winkelmann and research chief Maurizio Reggiani confirmed the powerplant selection to Autocar, which verified earlier rumors. The choice of turbocharging rather than the brand's usual naturally aspirated mills comes returns lower carbon dioxide emissions and a greater breadth of torque from the powerband. Even if Urus owners never take the CUV off-road, Lamborghini's engineers want it to be possible. They feel that significant grunt at low revs is necessary for the vehicle to excel in the dirt, and the company only plans to offer the Urus with all-wheel drive. Winkelmann also promises the model to live up to the automaker's huge performance reputation. "This engine is not used by anybody else, only for Lamborghini. To be the most powerful in the class it must have something that is dedicated to our brand," he said to Autocar. For buyers looking for even more exclusivity from their Lamborghini crossover, the company could offer multiple variations of the Urus after the initial launch. Winkelmann re-confirmed to Autocar that both a plug-in hybrid version and high-performance Superveloce are under consideration; there also could be a luxury-focused edition. The company hasn't signed off on any of these yet, though. Lamborghini will build the Urus in a new factory near its headquarters in Sant'Agata Bolognese, and the brand will hope to deliver around 3,000 of them annually. Expect the final model to look like an evolved version of the earlier concept. Autocar claims prices for the UK market similar to the Aventador, which starts at around $400,000 in the US. Related Video:

Watch 14 hot rides take over concept car lawn at Pebble Beach

The Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance is an annual celebration of the beautiful, old cars that grace Monterey Car Week. But Monterey – and Pebble – features lots of newer metal, too, and that includes the concept lawn at Pebble Beach. Now, "concept lawn" isn't a totally accurate name anymore, and you'll see why in the list below. This year especially, plenty of production cars can be found in the area once reserved for the conceptual. Still, we're happy to see them. Here's what's featured this year: Alfa Romeo 4C Spider Audi R8 BAC Mono Bentley EXP 10 Speed 6 BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage R Buick Avenir Galpin-Fisker Rocket Speedster Hyundai HCD-16 Vision G Coupe Icona Volcano Infiniti Q60 Lamborghini Asterion LPI 910-4 Maserati Ghibli McLaren 570S Rolls-Royce Wraith By our count, that's seven concepts out of fourteen cars. But it still makes for one hot group of metal. Check 'em out in the gallery above. Related Video: Related Gallery 2015 Pebble Beach Concept Car Lawn View 38 Photos Image Credit: Copyright 2015 Drew Phillips / AOL Design/Style Alfa Romeo Audi Bentley Buick Infiniti Lamborghini Lincoln McLaren Porsche Concept Cars Videos Original Video Pebble Beach